IDF Launches Operation to Destroy Hezbollah Terror Tunnels

Analyst weighs in on risks and highlights

On Tuesday, the IDF announced it had launched “Operation Northern Shield” to find and destroy terror tunnels dug under the northern border by the Iranian-backed Shi’ite terror militia Hezbollah and meant to facilitate terror attacks against Israeli communities in the Galilee. Hezbollah has yet to make any statement about the Operation but Lebanese President Michel Aoun, a close ally of the Iranian-backed Shi’ite terror militia Hezbollah, ordered Lebanon’s military and security apparatus to “closely monitor” the IDF operation.

“The digging of the cross-border attack tunnels that the IDF has discovered, before the attack tunnels became operational and posed an imminent threat to the safety of Israeli civilians, constitutes a flagrant and severe violation of Israeli sovereignty,” said IDF spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis.

“Hezbollah knows very well that anyone who attacks Israel will pay a heavy price,” said Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Adding that the current Israeli operation is part of efforts to deter Iran and compel it to remove its forces from Syria and Lebanon, he said “We are now revealing just a small part of the whole picture of capabilities, actions and what we plan to do to ensure Israel’s security on all fronts.”

Elsewhere, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) released a statement Tuesday saying it "was informed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) this morning that they have started activities south of the Blue Line to look for suspected tunnels. The overall situation in UNIFIL’s area of operation remains calm and UNIFIL is working with all interlocutors in order to maintain the overall stability.”

Here are some videos Israel posted regarding the current situation

In related news, world powers were expressing concern and discussing plans to push back against Iran’s weekend test launch of a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads, something most experts agree is only relevant to nuclear weapons. The US and other Western powers pointed out that this is a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which was a key anchor for the JCPOA nuclear deal. However, a spokesman for Iran’s armed forces dismissed the criticism, saying "We will continue to both develop and test missiles. This is outside the framework of (nuclear) negotiations and part of our national security, for which we will not ask any country's permission."

Here is a video giving some analysis of the situation

Here is a video about what YOUR Embassy in Jerusalem is doing to protect Israeli civlians amidst regional tensions